Route indicator



Feb. l2, 1929. 1,701,957

w. F. MENK ROUTE INDICATOR n Filed Aug. 21, 1925 www 61H0: nu,

PATENT OFFICE..y

WILLIAM HENK., 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROUTE INDICATOR.

Application filed August 21, 1925. .Serial No. 51,570.

This invention relates to an automobile route indicator of a type somewhat similar to the device disclosed in my pending United States patent application, bearing Serial N o. 48,120, filed .August 4th, 1925, and besides embodying the objects of the latter has for its further object to provide a more eiicient and simplified instrument by which an automobile driver may ascertain at a glance his exact position on theroute over which he is traveling.

To the accomplishment of these and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the form, proportions and minor details of lconstruction may be resorted to which comewithin the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawinoi forming a portion of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parteI throughout the several views Figure l is a front elevation of a routeindicator.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the door removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a side view of the device with the casing shown in section.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the driving gear and associated parts.

Figure 5 is a side view of one of the spool supports.

Figure 6 is a side view of the spool.

Figure 7 'is a diagrammatic view of the wiring arrangement for operating my improved indicator.

Referring in detail to the drawing 1 denotes a cylindrical casing provided with a peripheral flange 2 by which the indicator is adapted to be attached to the instrument board of an automobile. The casing is open at its front and provided with a door 3 hingedly connected thereto, as indicated at 4.

A pair of spaced parallel, extending spool supports, 6 are permanently xed to the side wall of the casing 1. A carrier spool 7 is fixed on the shaft 8 which latter is jour! naled for rotation in the apertures 9 formed .in respective supports' and 6, adjacent to the upper ends thereof. A feeder spool 10 is xed on the shaft 11 which latter is journaled for rotation in the apertures 12 formed in respective supports 5 and 6 adjacent to the lower ends thereof. The aperture 12 in the support 6 is elongated for the purpose to be described. t

Each of the supports 5 and 6 is formed with a forwardly projecting centrally 4disposed apertured arm 13 which carries a slide bar lll attached thereto by means ofv the screws 15.

The web 16 provided with indicating data as indicated at 17, is rolled from the carrier spool 7, passes over the slide bar 14 and is wound on the feeder` spool during the operation of the device. One marginal edge of thed web 16 is calibrated in mile units as shown at 18, and the other marginal edge is formed with slots 19, one of which is aligned with an associated indicating data 17. lt will be noted that while the edge 18 of the web 16 is calibrated in mile units, the same may be calibrated in fractions of miles if desired.

rihe position of each line of indicating data 17 and its associated slot 1 9 is determined by calculatin the movement of the web 16 relatively to t 1e distance of travel of the motor vehicle'andeach route requires a special web arranged for the -particular route. When starting on a route the web 16, therefor is wound onthe carrier spool 7 and the free end attached to the feeder spool 10 by clamping the said free end Vunder the resilient holder 20 withwhich each of the spools is provided. The web 16 is then adjusted until the pointer 21, carried bythe arm 13 of the support 6, is set at zero of the mile calibrations 18. Adjustment of the web 16 is alsoy required in the event that the vehicle starts-on the route at a'know'n distance hom the starting point of the route for which the web is intended, or if for any reason, a departure from the regular route is taken.

An adjusting gear 22 is fixed to one end of the shaft 8, and an adjusting gear 23 is xed to the corresponding endof the shaft 11. An intermediate gear 24, rotatably mounted on the support 5, is in mesh with the adjusting gears 22 and 2,3. A bevel gear 25 is fixed to one face of the intermediate gear 24' and meshes with a bevel gear 26 fixed adjacent to the lower end of the adjusting rod 27. The latter is suitably' journale'd for rotation and is provided with a knurled head 28 to facilitate the adjusting operation. The head 28 projects through an aperture 29 provided therefor in the door 3. By turning the rod 27 in the clockwise direction the spools 7 and 10 will be rotated in the same direction to unwind the web 16 from the carrier spool 7 and wind same on the feeder spool 10. By turning the rod 27 in the counter clockwise 'direction'the rotation of the spools 7 and 10 is reversed and the web will unwind from the feeder spool 10 and wind on the carrier spool 7. This arrangement will facilitate the adjustment of the web 16 to bring the desired mile unit into registration with the pointer 21 foi` the purpose hereinbefore stated.

A gear 29 is fixed to the shaft 11 on the end thereof remote from the end carrying the gear 23. The gear 29 is in mesh with the spiral 30 carried on the front`face of the worm gear 31. The latter is journaled for rotation on the casing back 32, as indicated at 33, and is in mesh with the worm 34, fixed on the tivelyconnected to some part of the vehicle mechanism that provides uniformly regular or intermittent movement only while the vehicleis in motion, preferably the speedometer shaft. s When adjusting the web 16, as herein stated, it is necessary to disengage the gear 29 from the spiral 30. This is accomplished by pulling the stop rod 36 forwardly. TheV rod 36 is rotatably connected to the link 37 which latter is rotatably mounted on the shaft =11. The rod 36 extends through a key hole slot 38 formed in the laterally disposed bracket 39 formed integral withl the support 6, The rodo36 is provided withA a laterally disposed pin- 39 which is adapted to pass through the slot 38 and seat on top of the bracket 39 fork holding the gear 29 disengaged from the spiral 30, thereby maintaining the device in the inoperative position if for any reason desired, and permitting of the adjustment of the web 16 ,in the manner described. The rod 36 vis formed with a knurled head 36 to facilitate its voperation and the latter projects through an opening 36'? in(the door 3 to allow the manipulation thereof when the latter is in the closed position. Aspring'36c is mounted on the rod 36 between the bracket 39 and .the link`37 for maintaining the gear .29 in mesh with the spiral 30 when the rod 36 is released.

l lA substantially U-shaped resilient tension member 40 is pivotally connected, as `at 41,

' to the upper end of the side wall of the casing 1. The connection'41, is provided with a spring 42, which acts to press the endsof the arms 43 and 44 against opposite sides of" the outer face ofv the web 16 as'the-latter 1s traveling over the slide bar 14, for the purpose of tensioning the web 16 lduring its operation. The tension member 40 is insulated from thecasing 1'by the insulation 45,

and the arm '43' further servesas a contact element for. contacting with the slide' bar disposed -directly over the slide bar 14. The

indicating data 17 passing over the slide bar 14 may be distinctly read through the slot 46; A lamp 47 is mounted in the casing 1 and projects throu'gli'an aperture provided therefor inthe door 3. The latter carries arelector 48 for deflecting the light from the lamp 47 over the data 17 showing in the slot 46.

A buzzer 49 or some other sound producing4 device is fixed to' the casing and is disposed in rear of an aperture 50 formed in the door 3 to amplify the sound of the buzzer 49. drive shaft 35. The drive shaft 35is opera` clearly shown in Figure 7, of the drawing.

By this wiring arrangement, the buzzer 49 and Alamp 47 will function simultaneously.

each time that the arm 43, of the tension member 40 contacts with the slide bar 14 through any of the web slots 19. l

In practice the operation of my improved indicator is as follows z-The stop rod 36 is first pulled forwardly disengaging the gear 29 from the spiral 30. The web16, provided with the indicating data 17 of the route desired, is wound on the carrier spool 7 by rotating the adjusting rod 27 in the counter' clockwise direction.- Asthe tension member web 16 may be wound upon the spool f10un til the mileunit` 18 on the web-16 registersy with the pointer, 21. The stop rod 36 1s now released causing the'gear `29 tomesh the spiral 30.

Upon movement Worm 34 be' 10, as the latter is fixed on the same s of the motor vehicle, the attached to the speedometer shaft by the s aft 35', will drive the worm Awheel 32 thereby rotating the feeder 1a 11 11s-the gear 29 .in mesh. with the spiral V30 of the wheel 32. -The operation lof the drive gearin is such that during the operation of the evice, the'web 16 will unwind lfrom-the carrier spool 7 and wind upon the feeder spool 10.

Assuming that at a distance of thirty five miles `:from the starting point there. is a rail road cr on'the route, the web 16 will have been so constructed that when the mile unit 18, designating thirty ve miles registers with the pointer 21 and with the elongated door slot 46, the arm 43, of the tension member 40, will contact with the slide bar 14 through the web slot 19, associated with the indicating data 17, namely R R. Crossing. While the arm 43 is contacting with the bar 14, the operating circuit is closed, thereby simultaneously operating the buzzer 49 and lamp 47. In this manner all the information provided by the indicating data 17 will be brought to the attention of l the driver at the exact place and time that they are encountered on the route.

. What I claim is:

1. A route indicator'comprising a casing including a hinged door formed with an observatmn slot, a horizontally adjustable feeder spool, a web carrying spool, supporting means common to said spools and secured within the casing, a slide bar arranged between saidv spools, positioned parallel to said slot and mounted 1n said means, a shiftable web wound on the carrier spool, windable on the feeder spool, sliding against said bar between it and the slot and having spaced route indications for successive exposure through said slot, a spring controlled tensioning element operating against the outer face of the web and pivotally connected to the casing, means operating on an axis at right angles to the axis of the feeder spool for d riving the latter when it is in an inward position, horizontally adj ustable means for shifting said feeder spool inwardly and outwardly and means for revolving said spools when the feeder spool is shifted outwardly.

2. A route indicator comprising a casing formed with an observation slot, feeder and carrying spools supported within the casing, a slide bar positioned between the spools Yand arranged in a normally open circuit, ashiftable web winding 0H the carrier spool and windable on the feeder spool extending across said slot and slidable over said bar, said web having spaced route indicating indicia for successive exposure through said slot and further having one side thereof formed with spaced apertures, audible and visible signals carried by said casing and in said circuit, and an insulated spring controlled pivoted U- shaped member in said circuit, having its 'arms bearing against opposite sides of the .Outer face of the web for tensioning it and further having one of its arms operating through said'apertures to contact with the slide bar to close the circuit to provide for the activity of the signals.

3. A route indicator comprising a casing having .an observation slot, a shiftable web extending across and having spaced route indicating indicia for successive exposure through said slot, said web further having spaced apertures at one side thereof, shift-4 ing means for the web, a slide bar "in a normally open circuit and over which passes said web, audibleland visible signals in said circuit and a spring controlled, pivoted insulated element in said circuit, bearing against the outer face of said web for tensioning it, positionedwithin said casing and having a part thereof operating through said apertures to engage said bar to close said circuit thereby providing for the activity of said signals. y

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

' WILLIAM F. MENK. 

